Making Your Voice Heard

Define Your Goals

If all you want to do is comment or vent, it's easy to tweet, fire off an email or write a letter to your local newspaper. But if you are passionate enough to work for change or to elevate an issue out of legislative obscurity, there are ways to do this without making it a full-time job.

Use Your Superpower

As an outsider, the General Assembly can seem like an impenetrable fortress. How do you get your voice heard?

Actually, the General Assembly is far more accessible than Congress. It's not unheard of to stop unannounced at your Delegate's or Senator's office and get a few minutes of his or her time. While it's true that the legislative session is extremely hectic and that lawmakers are outnumbered 5:1 by professional lobbyists, a constituent has a special power - the right to vote. So it's best to start with your own representatives; you have two of them, one in the House of Delegates and one in the Senate.

Caveat: Your superpower works only if you are a registered voter. If you have not gotten around to registering (shame on you), don't try to fake it. Some legislators know far more about you than you know about them. Some will have voter files that will not only indicate you are registered to vote but how often you vote.

Email or Snail Mail?

Lawmakers' staff are pretty good at filtering out mass-produced communications churned out by interest groups and top-down "grass tops" efforts. You'd be surprised how you can get a legislator's attention with a genuine constituent letter.

Legislators are inundated with email during session. As a result, emails sent to a legislator's state-issued email address are usually routed to a Legislative Aide or intern. Unless you have access to a legislator's personal email, the most effective form of written communication can be a throwback, a personal hand-addressed letter sent through the mail.

Most legislators have two mailing addresses, one used during the General Assembly session and one used the rest of the year.

Getting Past the Gatekeepers

For outsiders, trying to reach your legislator by phone or even stopping by their office can be intimidating. Members are busy, and each office has several levels of gatekeepers. These are all important people. Treat them well.

Secretary: These are part-timers who do not work for the member, but are employees of the House or Senate. They take messages, write letters and do administrative tasks. If you want to make an appointment, they usually will hand you off to the legislative assistant, who keeps the calendar.

Intern: These are college students who are used to talk or meet with people seemed sufficiently unimportant to warrant the time of the Legislative Aide or the Member. If you talk with them, they will take notes. Will the Member ever see the notes? Your guess is as good as mine.

Legislative Assistant: These are full-time employees of the member who are the ultimate gatekeeper (they also are known as "legislative aides"). They work and live in the district, handle constituent affairs, often work in the campaign and are often trusted advisors. Get to know the Legislative Assistant; he or she is your best friend.

Before you make a cold call, look up the representative and find the name of his or her Legislative Assistant(s).

When you dial a representative's office, act like they are expecting your call. Say something like, "Is [Legislative Assistant's first name] there? This is [your full name] from [your community or neighborhood within the district]." Say no more. Make it sound like your name and neighborhood speak for themselves. Once you get the Legislative Assistant on the phone, you can take it from there. Don't be defensive or rude. Remember, the Legislative Assistant is your new best friend.

Coalition Building

The most effective way to get things done in the legislature is to join with others who share your particular interest. Start with your neighbors and others in your community. Are there established groups that might be working on the same or similar issues that you could join forces with? Be creative. Partners sometimes turn out to be a group with which you have very little in common, but with whom you can find common ground on a specific issue.

Start Early

This advice may be too late for this year, but it's always better to contact your legislator several months before the annual General Assembly session begins each January. You are more likely to get an appointment and you will have more time to explain your position or idea. If your representative likes your idea, he or she will need time to submit a bill drafting request before the pre-file deadline in early December.

Visiting Capitol Square

Getting There

Capitol Square is located in downtown Richmond, on a hill overlooking the James River. Google Map

By Car:

Out-of-towners who travel to Richmond on I-95 or I-64 find that reaching Capitol Square is a relative snap. Thanks to "urban redevelopment" in the 1950s, transportation planners blasted a corridor within blocks of the heart of downtown Richmond. Today, I-64 comes within a mile of the Capitol Building, while I-95 is only five blocks away.

Change in Traffic Pattern: Starting in 2018, Bank Street — located on the south border of Capitol Square — will be closed to traffic between 9th Street and 12th Street.

Finding the Capitol is one thing, but finding public parking is another thing altogether. All directions below are to the main public entrance to the Capitol Building. A better strategy might be to set directions to the parking lot/garage options found here.

Interstate 95

From the North: Take Exit 74-B. CAUTION: Watch your speed as you exit as the exit ramp is extremely short. At the light at the foot of the ramp, turn right on Bank Street. Go up the hill four blocks, the main public entrance will be on your right at 1000 E. Bank Street.

From the South: Take Exit 74-C. At the end of the ramp, merge onto 17th Street. Continue three blocks. At the light, turn right onto Broad Street. Climb a steep hill and turn left on 8th Street. Go two blocks and turn left onto Franklin Street. Continue one block to a T-intersection, Capitol Square will be ahead of you. Turn right on 9th Street and take an immediate left onto Bank Street. After one block, the public entrance to the Capitol Building will be on your left.

Interstate 64

From the West: At the intersection with I-95 (mile marker 186), follow signs for I-95 South. Take Exit 74-B. CAUTION: Watch your speed as you exit as the exit ramp is extremely short. At the light at the foot of the ramp, turn right on Bank Street. Go up the hill four blocks, the main public entrance will be on your right at 1000 E. Bank Street.

From the East: As you approach the intersection with I-95 (mile marker 190), follow the signs for the "5th Street" Exit. Continue on 5th Street for seven blocks. Turn left onto Franklin Street. Continue four blocks to a T-intersection, Capitol Square will be ahead of you. Turn right on 9th Street and take an immediate left onto Bank Street. After one block, the public entrance to the Capitol Building will be on your left.

By Train:

Richmond is the southern terminus point for Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. There are two stations in the Richmond area. Nearly all of the scheduled trains use the Staples Mill Road Station in suburban Henrico County, about eight miles north of the State Capitol. Arrivals and departures from Main Street Station, a seven-block walk uphill to the Capitol, are far less frequent. For timetables, visit amtrak.com or call 1-800-872-7245.

By GRTC Bus:

Its location in the heart of downtown Richmond makes Capitol Square reachable from nearly every route on the GRTC system. Fare is $1.50 each way. Note: Many routes have limited or no service on weekends and holidays. Use the GRTC Trip Planner , view the overall system map , or call (804) 358-4782.

Navigating Capitol Square

The action will take place in two buildings – the State Capitol (the white-columned building designed by Thomas Jefferson where the daily floor sessions begin each day at noon) and the Pocahontas Building at 900 E. Main Street, just south of Capitol Square (a modern office building legislators have their offices and most committees meet.)

If you are a newcomer to Capitol Square in 2018, don't feel bad. Even old-timers will need help finding their bearings. The “General Assembly Building” that for decades housed legislators' offices and meeting rooms is being demolished. Construction of a new building on the northwest corner of Capitol Square is expected to take up to four years.

It remains to be seen if legislators' temporary quarters will curtail opportunities for the general public to interact with their elected representatives. The new building is smaller and interest groups are being discouraged from bringing large delegations to Richmond.

The temporary quarters in the Pocahontas Building are located right across Bank Street from the public entrance to the State Capitol Building, located at 1000 Bank Street. (In the past, the public had to walk the entire length of Capitol Square to get from the General Assembly Building to the State Capitol.)

Security Screening

Not so long ago, all of the public buildings on Capitol Square were open to the public. Anyone could come and go as they pleased, without showing an ID or emptying their pockets. After 9/11, public access was drastically restricted. Citizens now need an appointment to enter most state office buildings other than the Capitol Building.

To enter the Capitol Building and the Pocahontas Building, members of the public must pass through metal detectors. The screening line can be long at certain times. If you have an appointment or are planning on attending a hearing, it's a good idea to arrive plenty early to give yourself time to clear security.

Under House and Senate rules, the following items are prohibited:

Any device that may disrupt the conduct of business, including but not limited to voice-amplification equipment; bullhorns; blow horns; sirens, or other noise-producing devices; as well as signs on sticks, poles or stakes; or helium-filled balloons.

Despite the metal detectors, firearms are permitted. Members of the public with a valid permit may carry a concealed weapon and anyone is free to open carry a rifle or pistol into the Capitol and Pocahontas Building. Those who wish to exercise their Second Amendment rights should be prepared to present a valid state photo ID and/or a concealed weapons permit. Note: The Virginia Senate prohibits firearms of any type in its public gallery.

Making the Most of Your Day

Virginia has one of the nation's most compressed legislative sessions, so the pace ranges from rushed to frenzied. Understanding how a typical day unfolds can help you make the most of your time on Capitol Square.

Before Hours: The Pocahontas Building comes to life before dawn (except on Mondays). Some subcommittee meetings are often scheduled before 9 AM. Still, the early morning can be one of the best times for unscheduled face time with a legislator or his or her aide.

Morning: The mornings are jammed with committee meetings, which will be held in the Pocahontas Building and the Capitol Building.

Late Morning: The Pocahontas Building starts clearing out shortly after 11, as legislators head to the Capitol Building for the daily Republican and Democratic caucus sessions. Bank Street is a good place to catch a brief word with legislators as they make their way to the Capitol.

Noon: The House and Senate are gaveled into order at noon on most days. (Exceptions are Friday, when out-of-town legislators are eager to get on the road.) Things are much more quiet in the Pocahontas Building so this can be a good time to meet with legislative aides.

Afternoon: After the daily floor sessions end (adjournment time varies and can be highly unpredictable), committee and subcommittees resume meeting in the Capitol Building and the Pocahontas Building.

Evening: The Pocahontas Building clears out around 6 PM as legislators head to one of several receptions around town or a quiet dinner at their hotel.

Where to Eat

On Capitol Square, there are two options for breakfast and lunch.

Meriwether's Cafe (Capitol): Located in the Capitol Extension near the main public entrance. The cafe offers sandwiches, salads, sides and sweet treats. Seating is limited, and the cafe can be very crowded.

There is no food served in the Pocahontas Building. But across Main Street is the SunTrust Building, where a third-floor café is a good place to find a bite to eat and get away from the crowds.

Hours and additional information on these two locations can be found here .

Here are some restaurants that are within a 5-block radius of Capitol Square: